Animal-cleaning apparatus.



o. HAMMER. v ANIMAL CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION IQI LE D1313.6,1908.

Witnesses; Inventor.

v 42/ my igj Patented Jan. 5,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

c. HAMMER. mum, CLEANING APPARATUS, APPLICATION IILBD 1'33. 6. 1908.

Patenfid Jan. 5, 19.09.

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. transverse section on line a a, Fig. 1.

con-nan HAMMER, OF BUFFALO, NEW roar.

ANIMAL-CLEANING- APPARATUS.

-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5,1909. 7

Application filed February 6,1908. Serial No. 41%,516.

To all; whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CONRAD HAMMER, a citizeniof the United States,residing at Buf falo, in the county of Erie and State ofNew York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improved Animal-Cleaning Apparatus, ofwhich the following is aspecification. I p

This invention relates to an improved animal cleaning apparatus andcomprises a scraping device and a suction mechanism connected to thescraping device;

Theobject of the invention is to rovide an automatic suction mechanismto e utilized in conjunction with a scraping tool to remove the dirt,dust-and hair as it is loosened upon theanimals hide by the scra ingtool, and to soconstruct the scraping todi that the suction action isdivided and operates through a series of openings to prevent the raisingof blisters in the animals skin.

' The invention also relates to certain details of construction all ofwhich will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,+-

Figure 1. is a general view showing the improved animal cleaninapparatus in o era tion, a central vertica section being s own through aportion thereof to disclose the interior construction and the pipeconnections between the suction pump and vacuum tank being omitted. Fig.2 is a'detached central longitudinal section through the scraping deviceof the 'ap aratus. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of t e same. Fg. 4 is avertical Fig. 5 is a detached bottom view of the scraping device,showing the serrated scraping flanges arranged in another manner.

In referring to the drawings in detail like numerals designate likeparts.

This improved apparatus comprises a scraping device and a suctionmechanism connected directly by flexible tubing to the scra ing device.

T e scraping device is preferably of that "type known as a curry comb,having a base plate provided with elongated slots and serrated ortoothed scraping flanges.

The curry comb may be made in many shapes of which two are illustratedin the accompanying drawings.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a curry comb of square form is shown having a baseplate 1, of square outline provided with a series ofstraight.

slots 2, two side flanges 3, and a center flange 4. The center and sideflanges preferably extend straight and parallel with the slots and areserrated or toothed on their-lower edges to provide means having aplurality of projections for scraping the-surface of an animal.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, the base plate 5, is of circular form andthe slots 6, are curved and concentric.

An outer serrated or toothed flange 7, ex-

tends at approximately right angles from the outer marginal edge of thecircular plate 5, and a series of inner serrated or toothed flanges 8,radiate at equal distances apart from separated points near the centerof the plate and extend between theends of'the curved slots 6.

It is to be noted that the metal at the margins of the slots is bent orcurved upwardly so that the slots flags inwardly from' the scraping sideof the curry comb.

A, tubular nozzle has its bell shaped or enlarged outer end 9,.fastenedt0 the top surface of the base plate of the scraping device and enlargedsufficiently to inclose all of the slots in the base plate as shown inFig. 2.

'The tubular portion i the nozzle above the bell shaped. end 9 is bentto provide a convenient hand. grasping part for the operator inmanipulating thecurry comb as shown in .Fig. 2, and is joined by a screwcoupling 11 to one end of a rubber or other flexible tubing 12.

The slotted base plate which is attached to the infundibular end of thenozzle forms a hollow enlargement or bulb at the end of the flexibletubing which constitutes a Vacuum chamber.

The object in slotting the base plate 18 to provide suction openingsthat are large enough to draw the hair and dirt through i into thechamber, are sufficiently small to prevent the raising of blisters onthe skin of the animal.

In operation the base plate is kept as close as possible to the animalsskin in order to maintain a constant vacuum. with but a fair amount ofpumping suction and thus reduce the power required to the minimum.

Now referring to Fig. 1 the opposite end of the tubing is connected towhat is known as a vacuum tank.

The form of tank illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of an air tightreceptacle 13 which is divided into two compartments 14 and .15 by a'flexible diaphragm 16 preferably of Woven' ducking which is suflicientlyporous to perniit the passage of air and at the same time in a largedegree prevent the passage of dust,

- the tank and a suction. pump 13'' is connected by a pipe 18 to theupper )OltiGll oi the tank and communicates direct y with the uppercompartment 15.

In Fig. 1 a portion of the pipe 18 is shown extending from the vacuumtank and another portion from the suction pump and the connectingportion between the two end portions is omitted for lack of space.

The tank 13 is provided with a bottom cover 19 which is removed when itis desired to clean out the tank.

The operation of this improved apparatus will be readily understood byreferring to Fig. 1 of the drawings;

The operator grasping the bent portion of the device applies thescraping portion to the animals skin and moves it so as to loosen ordislodge the dirt dust or hair which is immediately drawn by suctionthrough the slots of the base plate and the nozzle and conducting tubeinto the lower compartment of the vacuum tank.

The advantages or this improved apparatus are in its perfect cleanlinessof operation, all the dust which is raised by an ordinary curry conibbeing drawn oil by suction through'the slots in this improved device,its simplicity and cheapness of construction and the rapidity andthoroughness with which it can be operated, the com aratively low powerrequired as the infundioularpnd ol the nozzle is nearly closed by thebase plate, the only openings being the small slbts i the base plate,and the fact that blisteracannot be raised in the aniinals slain owing'to separation of the suction action into a series of narrow s aces.

1. An apparatus of the class described, com rising an animal. scraping;device having a tu ular handle, a slotted closing the outer end of thetubular handle and scraping 'tion acaeoi flanges extending from theslotted base plate, suction mechanism and flexible. tub- ,nig connectingthe suction. mechanism to the a tubular handle and a hollow enlargementthe outer end of the handle provided with a slotted plate with scrapingprojections ex tending hoin said plate, a suction. plll'llpir a vacuumtank, flexible tubing connecting the vacuum tank tothe tubular handleand tub ing connecting the vacuum: tank to the sucpump.

4'. The combination. with suction mechanisrn of a currying deviceconsisting of a hollow bulb connected to the suction. mecha-i'iisni anda base plate closing the outer end of the hollow bulb and provided withnarrow slots forming suction openings and scraping flanges extendingfrom the base plate and located between the slots.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, an animal scraping; devicehaving a tubular body and a base plate closing the outer end of thetubular body; said base plate being provided with perforations which aresuf;

ficiently large to permit the passage of hair;

and dirt into the tubular body and sufficiently small to prevent theraising o1 blisters by suction on the skin an annual,

and scraping flang' extending therefrom in combination ith suctionmechanism. and tubular means connecting the suction mechanism to thetubular bt ly.

' (7 3;. AD HA MEIER

